Induction of immunomediated diseases by recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor during cancer treatment?

• Published in: Journal of immunotherapy (1997) Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 85
• Main Authors: Locker, G J, Steger, G G, Gnant, M F, Steiner, B, Simonitsch, I, Krainer, M, Budinsky, A, Brodowicz, T, Spitzauer, S, Jakesz, R, Zielinski, C C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.1999
• Subjects: Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Autoantibodies - analysis; Autoimmune Diseases - chemically induced; Autoimmune Diseases - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Female; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - adverse effects; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - therapeutic use; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - pathology; Neutropenia - chemically induced; Neutropenia - drug therapy; Recombinant Proteins; Sarcoma - drug therapy; Sarcoma - pathology
• ISSN: 1524-9557
• DOI: 10.1097/00002371-199901000-00012

Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) is widely used in the treatment or prevention of neutropenia induced by cytostatic regimens. Recent studies with this cytokine have shown several local and/or systemic side effects. We herein report on four patients with different tumor entities receiving GM-CSF as a part of their intensified cytostatic regimen. All four patients developed immune phenomena (sicca syndrome, seropositive arthralgia, hyperthyroidism, and pneumonitis, respectively) during or after subcutaneous treatment with GM-CSF. Pathologic alterations in immunologic serum parameters as well as histopathologic findings accompanied the clinical symptoms. These observations suggest that the therapeutic application of GM-CSF might be involved in the clinical emergence of autoimmune diseases.